Siblings
by Griffin Stone
Summary: Seven short story/drabbles for Kacxa week. Keith and Acxa are siblings.
1. Future - Building a House

**A/N: This is my first attempt at something like this. But, I wanted to take a break from my normal stories and I saw Gravron1 doing this. I figured, why not. I have no idea what I am doing, but I hope this amuses you.**

 **Does siblings Kacxa count? If not, too late!**

 **The first prompt is Future. It takes place, I dunno, a year after season seven?**

* * *

"Keith!"

Keith started and glanced away from his work, accidentally slamming the hammer down on his hand. He gave a yowl of pain and and dropped the hammer to clutch his hand.

Which led to the hammer falling on his foot.

A second yowl erupted from Keith's mouth as he jerked his foot up and tried to hold it in his hands. His smashed hand erupted in pain, making Keith stagger back. Trying to catch himself, he stumbled over his feet and fell to the dirt.

Keith lay sprawled for a moment, staring up at the sun and feeling his pulsing hand and foot. After a moment, someone leaned over him.

"Keith?"

"Acxa," Keith all but growled. "What is it?"

"I was just looking for you. Mom said I'd find you here."

Keith sat up with a groan and brushed dirt out of his mullet. Axca, obviously holding back a grin, held out a hand. Keith took his sister's hand and let himself get tugged to his feet. Well, foot.

Keith leaned against the frame that he had been working on. "What's up?"

"The sun," Acxa said, using the joke that Lance had taught her. Keith gave her a look. "Okay, I was coming to say good-bye."

Keith straightened, forgetting about his foot. He winced and leaned down slightly. Acxa reached for him, but he waved her off.

"You're leaving?"

Acxa shrugged. "Everything seems fine here. No insane people trying to over the universe. Mom and Kolivan are settling down on that new colony on Kerberos. You're…" Acxa looked up, "...building a house. I figured I would just move on."

"Oh, um… to where?" Keith asked.

Acxa shrugged again and turned her head away. "I dunno. Zethrid and Ezor kind of don't want to see me anymore. But, I've got a ship and plenty of contacts. Kolivan gave me his blade, since he and Krolia left the Blade of Marmora and I joined."

Keith nodded. "I have Mom's blade. Although, since the war is over, there hasn't been much need for the Blade of Marmora. Of course, I've got a ship stashed near here and the Blade know how to reach me."

Acxa hummed. "I should get going. Maybe we'll come across each other again."

Keith shook his head. "No one wants to stick around on Earth."

"Well, I have nothing to keep me here."

Keith made an offended sound. "Excuse me? Just because I gave up Black to that high-and-mighty Griffin, doesn't make me dead."

"I know that."

Keith stared at Acxa, then gestured to the wood frames behind him. "This house is going to have two stories and, like, four bedrooms."

"So I can visit?"

"You only want to visit?"

"How else would I see you?"

"You could live here."

"If that's what you _want_ ," Acxa said hesitantly.

"But you don't want to," Keith said blankly.

"I didn't mean it like-"

"Fine! Go on, you've said your good-byes!"

Keith snatched up his hammer and limped away. Confused, Acxa followed him around to one of the sections of the house that had walls. Keith started banging on the wall, even though Acxa didn't see any nails under the hammer.

"Keith?"

"I thought you were gone," Keith muttered.

"What's wrong?"

Keith huffed and shook his head. "Nothing."

Acxa scowled. When Keith brought his hand back again, Acxa plucked the hammer from his hand. Not expecting that, Keith didn't have time to stop his arm and he smacked his hand on the wall, covering the side of his hand with splinters.

For the third time in as many minutes, Keith yowled. He clutched both now-injured hands to his chest and whirled around to glare at Acxa.

"Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Something is wrong," Acxa said.

"You mean beside the fact that I can't feel either of my hands?" Keith snapped.

"Yes."

"Fine, I'll tell you."

Acxa waited, but Keith limped to another section of the house frame. This area was also walled in. It jutted out from the rest of the house, so there would be no second story.

"You know what this is for?" Keith asked.

"Living…?" Acxa said.

"This is your room. It's not a guest room, it's your room. I'm rebuilding our dad's house, and this is your room, okay? Stay if you want or go to space, I don't care, but just know that this room will always be yours. I'm going to put in a glass ceiling, 'cause Mom said you don't like the sight of a ceiling over your head."

"You want me to stay here with you in your house?"

"Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Um…"

"Fine. Y-E-S. I want you to stay here. I know you don't want to leave forever. I want a place to come home to, and I think you do, too. But, maybe I'm wrong. Whatever. Just do what you want."

Acxa smiled, finally understanding Keith's frustrated attitude. "I'll stay."

"Fine, just do whatever you- wait, what?"

"I want to stay with you. We're family."

Keith beamed. "Well, good. I didn't want to build a whole house if I ended up the only living in it."

"Do you need some help with it?"

"I wouldn't say no."

Acxa held the hammer out to Keith. The young man reached out to grab it. As soon as Acxa let go, though, the tool slipped out of his aching fingers.

Right on his only uninjured limb.


	2. Crossover - Lost

**A/N: Today's crossover is with a show called Zak Storm. It ended up way long, and I still feel like I could've done more with them.**

 **I imagine that Zak as modern-day kid, so there are about two hundred years' difference between their time frames.**

* * *

"We're lost, aren't we?"

"I grew up around here, we aren't lost."

Acxa threw Keith an unimpressed look. "We've been wandering this desert all quintant. It's getting dark. Which way is home?"

"We turn right here."

Keith marched around a large boulder, determined to prove Acxa wrong. He immediately came to a halt and threw his arm out to stop Acxa.

The siblings teetered on the edge of a steep fall. Twenty feet below was a pond.

"Definitely lost."

"We are not-"

 _Crack!_

With no warning, the ground gave way beneath them. Keith and Acxa yelped, then tumbled down the stony hillside. They hit the surface hard and plunged deep underwater.

Luckily, Keith could swim well. A quick check found Acxa faring just as well. In seconds, they burst out of the water.

Keith shook his head and took a breath. He grimaced and spat when he tasted the salty water on his lips. There was an awful lot of splashing for a pond, he thought as he lifted his head.

Keith's mouth dropped open. He forgot to tread water and briefly sank before rising to the surface with a splutter. Acxa grabbed him, but he waved her off. She looked up and noticed what had shocked Keith.

The water stretched endlessly in front of them. It looked more like an ocean than a pond!

"What happened?" Keith asked.

Suddenly, there was a rushing sound from behind, accompanied by shouts.

"Oy, there's someone in the water!"

"Woah, stop, Chaos!"

Keith and Acxa turned quickly in the water to see a large ship bearing down on them. Before they could panic, the ship veered to the side and came to a halt that seemed too fast for a water-bound ship.

The ship was somehow a mix of ancient and modern. The main structure was weathered wood. The front was carved in the image a massive skull with eyes that glowed. The masts were a transparent blue that separated in the middle, folding backward as it stopped.

While Keith and Acxa gaped, three kids poked their heads over the edge of the rail.

The first kid couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen. He had cheery blue eyes and a bandana of sorts pushed up over his messy brown hair. He wore a black vest over a red shirt. The hilt of a sword decorated with the image of a skull with glowing green eyes showed over his right shoulder.

The second boy was a good deal larger and a couple years older at least. He wore armor made out of various junk items. He wore a flight cap that had horns and flight goggles over his bright orange hair. He had a small goatee, and an open and sort of blank expression on his face.

The third kid was a girl, maybe the first boy's age. Her thick pink hair and pink-tinted, pointed ears hinted that she wasn't human. She wore something on her forehead that was pointed like a star. Her clothes were purple and slightly scaly. She watched the siblings with serious pink eyes.

"Hey, you need help?" the first boy called down.

"Let's leave them!"

Keith's mouth dropped open as the skull on the boy's sword started to _talk!_

"Pirates don't pick up every stray they find in the sea!" the skull said.

The boy laughed. "Easy, there, Calabrass. We can't just leave them! Crogar, grab a rope."

The larger boy turned away, then came back with a rope. He lowered it to the siblings.

Keith looked at Acxa, who shrugged and took the rope. Keith climbed after her, and they soon reached the deck.

"Hey, I'm Zak Storm," said the first boy. He paused, and seemed disappointed when neither sibling showed recognition. "The Viking's Crogar and the fish princess is Cece."

Keith eyed Cece, wondering if the "princess" was literal or a nickname.

"Are ya gonna forget me?!" the sword demanded, making Keith start.

"Oh, yeah. The grumpy sword is Calabrass," Zak said with a chuckle. "Caramba is around here somewhere, ah, there he is!"

Keith turned and saw a yellow metal sphere with arms and legs come out from behind a door. The front of the sphere had a screen that was showing a smiley face. The thing -Caramba?- held thick towels that it gave to the siblings.

The confusion was cleared when the screen part of the sphere lifted up. The small green alien sitting inside had big blue eyes and a single antenna that drooped over backward. He had his hands on a set of controls that must have controlled the robot suit.

"I'm Keith Kogane. This is my sister, Acxa," Keith said. He shook hands with the kids. "Do you know where we are?"

"Oh, great, some newbies," said a slightly accented voice from behind.

Keith turned and jumped. He could handle fish people, aliens, and talking swords; those were slightly normal to him by then. What he was less used to was a much younger kid -what was he, nine?- whose robes and cowl were the same transparent blue as his body. The only different color to the boy was his black pupils and pale green eyes. He floated a few inches off the ground.

"You're a... ghost?" Keith said slowly. He took the ghost-boy's hand when he offered it, and found it surprisingly solid and cool.

"Hello, I'm Clovis," the ghost-boy greeted. "And I'm not a ghost. It's called an ectoplasmic spector of awesome!"

Keith smirked at the words and the way the boy flexed his arms. Acxa nodded to him, amused as well.

"Well, to answer your question, you're on the Chaos," Zak said, probably referring to the ship. "And inside the Bermuda Triangle."

Keith frowned. "But we were in Arizona just a few minutes ago."

Zak perked up. "You're from America?"

"Well, I am. She was born in space," Keith said, pointing to Acxa.

Caramba cocked his head. "I'm familox with over two thousand racox of alien, but none like you."

"I'm half Galra, half human," Acxa explained. "And you are a Wahoolian, right? I've heard about your technox advancox. Is that suit your inventox?"

Keith blinked at Acxa. What was she saying?

Caramba beamed. "Yes to both questox!"

Keith cocked his head. "I've never met a 'Wahoolian.'"

"Um…" Acxa decided it would not be tactful to mention that the Wahoolians had been scattered across the universe. "There are many races out there."

"True. Wait a second," Keith said, mind backtracking. "How can we be in the Bermuda Triangle? That's just a myth."

"That's what everyone says," Clovis said, sounding bored. "Basically, the Bermuda Triangle is where all things lost eventually end up."

Acxa elbowed Keith. "Told you we were lost."

"We weren't _that_ lost!" Keith sighed. "How do we get out?"

"Uh…" Zak looked away awkwardly. "Right now… you can't."

"What?"

"No one gets out of the Bermuda Triangle," Clovis said, way too seriously for such a little kid. "People get in, but they don't. Get. Out."

"Still creepy," Zak said.

Clovis grinned, then vanished in a puff of smoke and a farting sound. Zak shook his head with a fond grin, then turned back to the siblings.

"My crew is finding the seven Waypoints. Calabrass is the only one who can unlock them, and then we can all go home."

"How long will that take?" Acxa asked, getting nervous.

"We have been working at it for two months," Cece said. "We have unlocked two so far."

"So… That's…" Keith shook his head. "Everyone will be worried."

Zak's cheery expression faded. "I know. My dad's probably worried sick about me. He knows I'm trying to get home, but… And Cece's got a whole kingdom to go back to, Caramba's got his colony, and apparently Crogar has about ten siblings. I'm not sure about Clovis, but he's got to have someone."

"Ah, quit yer mopin!" Calabrass grumbled. "A finer crew I have yet to see, and it will take no time in gettin' to the final Waypoints!"

Clovis abruptly shot out of the floor. "Not to interrupt, but we have a problem."

"What's that?" Zak asked.

"The Demoniac!"

Everyone whirled in the direction that Clovis was pointing. A large ship made of dark metal was cutting quickly through the waves. The new ship also had a skull-looking front, but it seemed much more sinister with its red glowing eyes.

"Golden Bones," Zak growled. "Can't we get a moment's peace to show some newcomers around for once?"

"I do not think Golden Bones cares, Zak Storm," Cece said.

Zak smirked. "I know. Chaos, full speed!"

The siblings were startled when the kids' ship gave a rumble. Engines on the back roared to life, and the ship sped off. Zak ran up to the empty helm and grabbed on.

"We have skeletons incoming!" Clovis called, pointing toward skeletal pterodactyls ridden by skeletons with metal armor swooping overhead.

"Caramba, get below. Everyone else, defend the Chaos!" Zak yelled. He looked at Keith and Acxa. "Can you two fight?"

In response, the siblings grabbed their Marmoran blades and formed their swords. Acxa's blade had a similar form to Keith's, but slightly longer and slimmer.

Zak grinned. "Whoa!"

Crogar took a hunk of metal with a bone handle from his back. The metal opened up and expanded, revealing itself to be a wing of an airplane! From behind her back, Cece pulled a ray gun with extensions that were reminiscent of a crossbow and Clovis pulled a ball and chain from out of nowhere. Caramba, sporting a distressed look on his digital "face," ran through a door on the deck.

"Here they come!"

Cece shot down a pair of the pteros, but three more dove toward the ship. Crogar struck one, Clovis hit another, and Keith and Acxa attacked the final from both sides. The pteros broke into pieces, throwing their riders into the sea.

"Good-" Zak broke off. "Prepare to be boarded!"

Keith whipped around to see a trio of metal hovercrafts alongside the Chaos. Skeletons leaped onto the side of the ship and scrambled up to the deck.

Keith, Acxa, and the crew attacked the skeletons, methodically smashing them into bits. Keith and Acxa soon learned that the skeletons could put themselves back together, so they tried to hurl them off the ship.

Keith was grappling with a skeleton, when a yell from Zak made him look up. A ptero was diving down on him!

"Calabrass, give me the Eye of Blazz!" Zak yelled, leaping over the helm.

Keith shoved the skeleton away, but knew he wouldn't be quick enough for the ptero. He braced himself, then something blasted through the ptero in a blaze of fire. The ptero and skeleton rider fell to the deck, and Keith's rescuer landed on the deck in a crouch.

It was Zak. His shoes had changed to a vibrant red and a lenses in his bandana glowed red. His left arm was covered in layered black and red armor, and Calabrass' blade was on fire. Calabrass' eyes had become orange.

"Woah!" Keith said. "Where can I get a sword like that?"

"I'll trade ya," Zak said.

"Now just hang on a barrel blasted minute!" Calabrass demanded.

Zak laughed. "I'm kidding. No one else could put up with your mouth, anyway."

Another wave of skeletons cut off the conversation. Keith dodged away, and found himself back-to-back with Acxa.

"This is crazy," Acxa said, kicking a skeleton. "We have to get back home."

"You heard the kid. We might not anytime soon." Keith slashed a skeleton in half.

"I'm blaming you."

Keith shoved a skeleton over the railing. "Excuse me?!"

"If you hadn't gotten us lost, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"We have to lose the Demoniac!" Zak yelled. He was back to normal and bolting for the helm again. "Chaos, bear port into those rocks!"

"Left to the rocks," Keith murmured. His head jolted up. "Wait, I know where we were!"

The Chaos abruptly swung to the left. Keith was thrown off balance. He knocked into Acxa, and the siblings stumbled toward the railing.

"Keith! Acxa!" Zak yelled.

Before the crew could make a move, the siblings hit the railing and tumbled over. They hit the water with a large splash.

It took Keith only a second to get his bearings and swim for the surface. He surged out of the water, and Acxa did the same a second later.

"Zak!" Keith yelled, eyes blinking free of the water. "We're right… back where we started?"

Acxa looked at Keith, then noticed the silence. She looked around and realized that they were floating in the pond that they had first fallen into.

The siblings stared around for a moment, then paddled to the edge and pulled themselves out of the water.

"What happened?" Keith asked after a few minutes.

Acxa, having already thought it through, answered slowly and uncertainly. "Clovis said that all things lost end up in the Bermuda Triangle."

"We weren't lost," Keith muttered.

Acxa ignored him. "Well, once you realized where we were at back here, we weren't lost anymore, right?"

Keith snorted, but it made an odd amount of sense. He shook out his wet hair and stood with a sigh.

"I hope they were alright," Keith said.

Acxa stood as well. "You know, something tells me that they will be just fine."


	3. Stars - Half-Asleep Thoughts

"Hey, Acxa?"

"Mm?"

"Do you ever wonder what is beyond the stars?"

"..."

"Well?"

"I thought you were talking in your sleep."

Keith rolled onto his side. "No, I'm awake."

"Then why such a silly question? You know what is beyond the stars. You have been there."

"It's human nature to wonder about that."

"Even if you already know the answer?"

"I suppose."

"..."

"..."

"More stars, I suppose."

Keith huffed sleepily. "That's so boring."

"It is true."

"And what is beyond them?"

"Stars, haven't you been listening?"

"Ugh, I know that!"

Acxa smiled at Keith's half-asleep protest. "'Night, Keith."

"Still dunno," Keith murmured, squirming into Acxa's side.

"We'll check tomorrow, 'kay?"

Keith hummed, finally drifting off. Acxa smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. Her gaze turned curiously toward the sky against her will.

"What else is up there?"


	4. Scars - Not All Are Physical

**A/N: I'm so sorry, you guys. When I was writing this, I managed to completely forget about Keith's scar on his cheek. (Don't ask.) And there isn't any inspiration for a different one-shot, so...**

* * *

Keith never thought about his scars until the day he and Acxa went swimming.

Acxa wore some worn out shorts and shirt that had been Krolia's during her time on Earth with Ken. Keith wore his red shorts, and pulled off his jacket when they reached the secluded pond.

There was a gasp from behind, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Acxa staring wide-eyed at him.

Keith froze. "What is it?"

"Your back."

Keith craned his neck to try and see what had Acxa so upset, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He was about to say so, when it hit him.

"You've never seen my scars before, have you?"

Acxa shook her head as she placed a hand on Keith's knotted back. "Where did you get them all?"

"I was kind of involved in a universal war for two years, you know. Injuries happen," Keith said.

"I thought the Castle of Lions had healing pods and that Allura had healing abilities," Acxa said.

Keith shrugged as he sat on the pond's edge and dangled his feet in the water. "There were times when neither were available. During my time as a Blade of Marmora agent and two years in the quantum abyss… they just kind of happened. What, don't you have any?"

"Lotor had healing abilities as well," Acxa explained, sitting beside Keith. "He never let one of us generals suffer from injury." She frowned, not wanting to discuss the man she had once thought of as a friend.

Keith, who had become surprisingly adept at reading his sister's generally nonexistant expressions, recognized she wanted a distraction. He angled his body and pointed at the biggest, most jagged scar crossing the center of his back.

"Want to know how I got that one?" Keith asked.

Acxa cocked her head, running the most dangerous scenarios that she could through her head. Keith grinned and answered before she could try.

"A rock."

"A rock?" Acxa repeated. "Did it fall on you?"

"Nope. Got stuck."

Acxa stared at him, not believing it.

"It's true! Regris, Vrek, and I were on a stealth mission, and I was supposed to go ahead and scout. They chose me because I was the smallest Blade and thought I could fit through this tiny gap in the wall." Keith shook his head at the memory. "I couldn't. We were spotted when Regris and Vrek tried to get me out. I ended up leaving half the skin from my back behind, but we got away."

Acxa snorted. "And do all of your scars have such boring stories behind them?"

"Oh, no. This one," Keith pointed to his shoulder, where there was a trio of scars from bite marks, "I got when we were freeing prisoners. I thought Cerberus was just a human myth, but apparently not. Have you ever been bitten three times at once? Not pleasant."

Keith continued pointing out scars and the tales behind them. Acxa thought he sounded slightly proud of his scars, and the fact that he had healed naturally after the injuries.

While Keith was gesturing along with the story about the burns on his left side, Acxa happened to glance down at his legs and noticed something curious.

"What about those?"

Keith, grinning and in the midst of his story, paused. "What?"

Acxa pointed to his right leg. Keith looked down.

Acxa had never seen anyone get so serious, so fast. He drew his legs out of the water and rubbed his right one.

Three jagged, purple-tinted marks ran from his knee down to almost his ankles. They weren't exactly scars, but the discoloration stood out on his pale skin.

"Sabers," Keith murmured. "Pidge and I almost died that day. She got out fine in the end, but my leg never quite healed right."

"Does it hurt?" Acxa asked, gently touching the skin.

"Sometimes," Keith said, still in a low tone. "But none of my injuries have ever hurt as much as the thought that I might lose Pidge that day."

Keith didn't say anything else; he just slipped his feet back into the pond. His face had taken on a dark scowl, like he used to do all the time when Acxa had first reunited with him.

"You don't like to think about that day, do you?" Acxa asked.

"Nope," Keith said, flicking a stone into the water.

"Well… I don't like to think about this, either," Acxa whispered, hand going to the shirt's collar. "But… if you are willing to share."

Confused out of his melancholy, Keith looked at Acxa.

Acxa tugged the collar to the side, revealing a scar that started at her collarbone. It swept over her left shoulder and down out of sight to curve down her stomach.

"Zethrid gave that to me… when we parted paths after Lotor vanished. She was so mad…" Acxa blinked, startled to find tears tracking down her face. "We thought that we would be together, a team, forever. But I was the first to leave. If Ezor hadn't been so shocked, I know I wouldn't have survived. I barely escaped with my life."

"Acxa, I didn't know…" Keith trailed off.

What could he say? He had never thought about Acxa leaving Zethrid and Ezor, having foolishly assumed they had simply parted ways. Now, he realized that leaving them must have been as hard for her, as it had been when he left Voltron to join the Blade of Marmora.

Except, where he had been sent off with hugs and kind words, Acxa had been nearly killed and on the run.

"I didn't want you to know," Acxa said, fiercely swiping at her eyes. "It's all in the past. I've already moved on."

Keith reached out and grabbed his sister. Before she could protest, he tugged her close into a hug.

"Wha- Keith, let go," Acxa said, trying to push away.

Keith didn't say anything, only held her tighter. After a moment, Acxa gave up struggling and leaned into him. Keith rested his chin on her head, feeling her slim arms wrap around him.

Neither sibling moved for a long time.

* * *

 **A/N: For the full story on Keith's leg, check out the first chapter of _Stayin' Alive._ While the aftereffects of the injury is greatly lessened, it will be a continuing theme with Keith in my stories.**


	5. Quiet Moment in Battle - And They Didn't

**A/N: Slight blood warning.**

 **Takes place a few years after all the other chapters.**

* * *

"C'mon, Keith, help me a bit."

Keith mumbled and scuffed his feet, becoming more of a hindrance than a help. Acxa shifted his weight -when had her brother's Galra genes finally decided to give him a decent height?- and continued to half-drag, half-carry him toward a tumble of stones.

Once they were under cover in the tiny cave, Acxa settled Keith down and peeked out of their sparse cover.

She and Keith had been helping the tribes of Vachish, who had been harried by space pirates for the last few pheobs. They had gathered several tribes together to run off the pirates for good. The battle was going well in the Vachishites' favor, but a lucky shot from a pirate had taken Keith to the ground.

Once she determined that the battle was far enough from them, Acxa ducked back down to check Keith more thoroughly.

The shot had gone through his side, slicing as easily through the armor as it had his flesh. As luck would have it, he had also hit his head on a stone when he fell. So, besides the blood flowing from his side, he also had blood oozing down the side of his face.

"It just wouldn't be a fight if you didn't get yourself hurt, would it?" Acxa asked fondly, wiping off the cut on his forehead.

Keith mumbled something, blinking dazedly at Acxa. She was pretty sure he had a concussion. Acxa moved down to his side, swiftly cleaning it up and bandaging it. While she worked, Keith became more coherent.

"I think you'll live," Acxa said wryly as Keith inspected the bandages.

"Good, good," Keith muttered, bracing his hands on the ground. "We'd better get back to the- ah!"

Keith fell back with a cry of pain when he tried to sit up. Acxa quickly grabbed him to ease him down. Keith's eyes squeezed shut in pain. While the bleeding had greatly slowed, he had lost a good deal on the way to safety.

"You are staying here," Acxa said firmly. "Just lay still, okay? You'll be safe here until the battle is over."

Acxa started to stand, but Keith suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"No," Keith said, eyes opening. "We-we must stay together and…" Keith pressed his head back to the ground with a hiss, purple eyes sliding shut again.

"What? Keith!" Acxa leaned closer, alarmed when Keith's body went slack. "We must stay together and what?!"

Keith's eyes opened. They were cloudy and distant, and a bleary grin appeared on his face.

"You have beautiful eyes," Keith murmured.

"He's lost his mind!" Acxa exclaimed to no one in particular.

Acxa sighed and looked down at Keith. His eyes were shut again, and he was disturbingly still. Frowning, Acxa shook Keith's shoulder until his eyes wretched open.

"What?" Keith mumbled.

"You have to stay awake. You have a concussion."

Keith groaned and shifted, scuffing his feet restlessly on the dirt. He kept his eyes open, but the effort was obviously taxing to him.

"I need to see how it is going," Acxa said after a few doboshes. The sounds of battle had started to fade. She began to stand, only to feel Keith's hand latch onto her wrist yet again. "Keith…"

"Don' go," Keith pleaded, words slurring together.

Acxa sat and put her hand on Keith's clammy forehead. "I won't go, if you won't."

Keith mumbled in weary agreement. His eyes fell shut, but his fingers tightened on Acxa's wrist as if he was afraid of her leaving.

But she didn't. And neither did he.

* * *

 **A/N: Who got the reference? XD I've been waiting years to use that one.**


	6. Cosmic Wolf Bath -Whose Bath Time is It?

Keith pulled on his gloves and handed a pair to Acxa, who was jerking on a pair of over-sized boots.

"This might be the most difficult mission we have ever taken part in," Keith said. "There is no room for mistakes or hesitation. If you want to back out, there is still time."

Acxa raised an eyebrow at him. "Keith, we're giving Kosmo a bath."

Keith's face got even more serious. "I know. I'm not sure if you are ready for this yet."

Acxa shook her head and grinned. "I think I can handle it."

Keith sighed and squared his shoulders. "Fine. But if you insist on going, you'll have to ditch the boots."

Acxa blinked and looked down. She was assuming from the stories she had heard from the other paladins at their pets' bath time, that there would be a lot of splashing. She wanted to be able to keep her balance on a slippery tile floor.

"Just trust me on this," Keith said, way too seriously for a bath time.

"Oh-kay…"

Acxa removed the boots and set them aside. Seeing that Keith had remained barefoot, she decided to do the same.

Keith looked her up and down, like a drill sergeant inspecting a soldier. He nodded and turned, gesturing for Acxa to follow.

The pair marched through the house, locating Kosmo lounging on the couch in the living room. The cosmic wolf lifted his head when he saw the siblings.

"You got the soap?" Keith asked, seriously.

Acxa held up a bottle and rag. "Yes."

"Good."

Acxa wasn't sure what she was expecting next, but it definitely wasn't for a wicked grin to spread across Keith's face. He grabbed Acxa's arm.

"Kosmo! Bath time!" Keith called gleefully.

Kosmo leaped off the couch and reached the siblings in seconds. Acxa braced herself to chase after Kosmo, but the wolf barreled right into Keith.

There was a flash of light and a disorienting feeling of spinning, then Acxa found herself in the open air

"What-"

Acxa managed just the one word before she fell. Right into a pond.

Her head went under but, once she got her feet under her and stood, she realized the pond was scarcely three feet deep. She shook her hair out of her face and glared at Keith, who was beaming at her.

"Unlike most pets, Kosme _loves_ bathtime," Keith informed her between chuckles. "It just has to be done in the location of his choice."

Acxa threw her rag in Keith's face.

Not expecting a face-full of cloth, Keith stumbled back. Kosmo quickly teleported behind him, and the young man tripped over him. He landed with a massive splash, then flailed to the surface with a betrayed look on his face.

Acxa laughed, then was distracted when Kosmo nudged the bottle in her hands. She obligingly squirted some soap straight onto his fur, then the wolf leaped at Keith again.

Keith, who was just standing, was knocked flat once again. His mouth opened in a yelp, earning him a mouthful of water and soapy fur. He spluttered on the disgusting mix, and shoved Kosmo away.

"Okay, okay, I give up!" Keith yelled, raising his arms in surrender.

Acxa laughed at the sight of her brother, up to his shoulders in water and trying to fend off a sudsy, excited wolf. Kosmo was rubbing up against Keith so much that both of them were decently lathered up before long.

"Acxa!" Keith pleaded.

Finally stifling her laughter, Acxa caved. She pulled Kosmo away from Keith, then crossed her arms and stared down at Keith.

Keith coughed out some suds and shook his head, making his hair stand out in spikes.

"Learn your lesson?" Acxa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Keith said meekly.

Too meekly.

Something crashed into Acxa's back, knocking her flat in the water. As she staggered to her knees, Keith's hands latched onto her arms.

"Get Kosmo on my side next time," Keith said, grinning.

There was no escaping when a very soapy Kosmo squirmed in between the siblings. Keith laughed and started rubbing Kosmo's fur.

Acxa sighed and shook her head with a wry grin. Looked like when Kosmo got a bath, so did everyone else.


	7. Sparring - For Honor?

Pidge was just leaving her dorm in the ATLAS, when an odd sound caught her attention. She cocked her head. Since she was always the last one out in the morning, the dorms were always silent.

Following the sounds, Pidge soon found herself in front of Keith's door. There was thumping and growling coming from inside, and not the playful sounds of Kosmo.

In an instant, Pidge recognized the sounds to be fighting! Keith was in trouble!

Summoning her bayard, Pidge slammed her hand on the door pad. Her mouth opened to call for help as the door slid open.

Pidge froze, not making a sound. She blinked at what she was seeing, but that was her only movement.

She still hadn't moved several minutes later when Lance came to see where she was, and his response was the same. Neither had moved by the time the rest of the paladins and Shiro came to see what was taking so long.

For a long time, the five just stared. Finally, Lance spoke.

"I thought they were done trying to kill each other."

Keith's room was a mess. The table was shoved against the wall, one chair was tipped over the top of it, the second chair was halfway under the bed, and blankets and clothes were all over the floor.

And, in the midst of the mess, was Keith and Acxa. The siblings were locked in what could only be described as an intense wrestling match.

While the team watched, Acxa grabbed Keith's wrists and shoved him to his back. He quickly kicked out, throwing Acxa halfway across the room. Both crouched in an instant and leaped at each other. This time, Keith knocked Acxa to the ground. She rolled to the side, dragging Keith to the ground. The siblings grabbed each others arms and started writhing around. Acxa nearly had Keith in a headlock before he squirmed away.

"What could have upset them so much?" Shiro asked, having thought that Keith had matured beyond fighting with teammates and family.

"They acted fine yesterday," Hunk observed, wincing when Keith was thrown under the table.

Keith scrambled to his feet, slamming his head into the underside of the table. He lost his balance and sprawled to the ground. Crowing in victory, Acxa leaped over and dragged him into the open. Keith abruptly kicked his body forward, head-butting Acxa in the stomach. She went down with a sharp exhale, but neither sibling slowed as they locked back together again.

"How dangerous would it be to grab their blades before they decide to use them on each other?" Pidge asked.

"Do you want to die?" Lance asked drily. "I say we leave them to it, and fill them in on what they missed later, huh?"

"We can't leave them like this," Allura said, snagging the collar of Lance's shirt before he could walk away. "They could kill each other!" Allura got four startled looks. "What?"

"I was joking about killing each other!" Lance squeaked.

"If it is a question of honor, there's no telling how far this could go," Allura said.

"Yeah, a fight to the death isn't beyond possibility," Hunk said, ruefully thinking of the battle for honor that he still needed to address with Dayak.

That realization snapped Shiro out of his shock. He marched into the room, determined to pry the sibling apart if necessary.

"Stop!" Shiro ordered.

To everyone's immense surprise -and relief- the siblings fell apart. They were panting hard as they turned their heads to the rest of the team, who then noticed two things.

One, neither Keith nor Acxa was actually injured beyond a bruise on Keith's forehead and a small scratch on Acxa's arm. Two, their eyes weren't narrow and angry, but content.

"Oh, hey," Keith panted. He wiped his forehead, then winced when his hand brushed the bruise. "Ow. Hey, Acxa, where'd that cut come from?"

Acxa glanced at her arm. "I think when I hit the table. It is nothing."

"Okay." Keith looked back at the team. "Did you need something?"

Once again, the team could only stare. Lance threw up his arms and walked away, though he returned seconds later because he was curious.

"Did we, or did we not, just witness you two fighting?" Pidge finally asked.

The siblings raised their eyebrows to each other, then shrugged.

"Yes," Acxa said, standing. She held out a hand to Keith.

Taking Acxa's hand and standing, Keith continued, "What is wrong?"

"Why were you fighting?" Hunk asked. "And if you say 'honor,' I am locking you both in the broom closet until you talk things out."

"Okay, Hunk, one, there are no broom closets on the ATLAS," Keith said. "Two, that would accomplish nothing; it's not like we couldn't still fight in a small space. Three, why do you think we were fighting for honor?"

"Why else would you fight like that?" Hunk asked.

"Don't you know about sparring?" Acxa asked, eyes gleaming. "Keith informed me that fighting against real enemies isn't the only way to train. You can train with teammates, so both of you can improve and your life isn't in danger!"

"You were… just sparring?" Shiro clarified. "No actual injuring intended?"

"Nope," Keith said. "I'm holding back for her."

"Oh, really?" Acxa said, smirking. "What a coincidence. So was I."

Keith's eyes narrowed. "Shiro, were you needing us?"

"Um, not really for another hour."

"Good. Acxa, rematch?"

Acxa's smirk grew. "No winner's been declared yet."

In a second, the siblings threw themselves at each other and resumed their sparring. The team silently left them to it.

* * *

 **A/N: And that wraps it up for Kaxca week!**


End file.
